$5 million available to preserve open space in Connecticut

Municipalities in Connecticut can apply for as much as $5 million to buy and preserve open space.

Municipalities in Connecticut can apply for as much as $5 million to buy and preserve open space.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says the competitive grant program will help cities, towns and land conservation organizations buy and protect land.

Connecticut’s open space includes recreation and conservation land owned or protected by the state and land owned or protected by municipalities and others, often with state financial help.

Connecticut’s goal is to protect 21 percent of land in the state, or 673,210 acres, by 2023. State environmental officials say the state and others have protected more than 15 percent of land that’s designated open space, or nearly 500,000 acres.